Description and objectives

Ecosystem degradation can undermine the provision of ecosystem services, while the restoration of degraded ecosystems is often costly and, in some cases, changes may become irreversible.

The importance of conducting biophysical assessments and monetary valuations of natural capital and ecosystem services through environmental accounting has been recognized by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In this context, the overall objective of the project proposal is to evaluate, in both biophysical and economic terms, the value of marine–coastal natural capital and ecosystem services, as well as their loss due to human impacts, with a particular focus on Posidonia oceanica meadows, coralligenous systems, and lagoon ecosystems.